The Worst Way to Start a Diet... and the Right One

There are decisions you make rationally, with your cool-and-collected self running the show. Then there are weight-loss resolutions, usually declared in a highly emotional state, triggered by a wrestling match with a pair of pants that no longer fit. Oh, the tears and cursing.

When the thought occurs—Must lose weight!—rarely do women take a moment to plan before leaping into action, says health and fitness expert Michelle Bridges, the trainer famous all over Australia for the miracles she works on that country's version of The Biggest Loser. Instead, they begin immediately, cutting out entire food groups by dinnertime and signing up for a marathon without so much as a warm-up jog.

While every woman's inner drill sergeant tells her that slimming down is urgent and there's no time to wait, Bridges and other experts say it pays to pause. The groundbreaking idea behind her 12-Week Body Transformation is to prepare your mind, your body, your kitchen cabinets, and even your family for the changes you want to make—so that those changes happen, and stick. Bridges calls it "preseason weight loss," and sets aside two to three weeks for the prep work. You'll still get results, don't worry. "I've seen clients drop eight pounds during the planning stages because they are becoming more conscious and they are getting real," she says. Tackle these basic tasks before launching into your next diet and exercise program, and postseason will look like this: you, back in your favorite jeans, possibly crying tears of joy.

Make a "why" list

Grab your iPad or a journal and write down all the reasons you want to lose weight, says Bridges. Think of this as a bucket list for your future, slimmed-down self. What would you do if you were to whittle away those extra pounds? Go to your next college reunion? Hike Machu Picchu? Have more sex with your husband? Lower your cholesterol and live a long, healthy life? Bottom line: It's hard to stick to healthy habits over the long haul if you don't know what real, bigger rewards you're working toward every time you, say, pass up a cookie.

Do a "body scan"

This may be hard to believe when you're staring in shock at the scale in the doctor's office or your bathroom, but those three digits staring back at you aren't everything. In fact, the reason we often give up on weight loss—sometimes weeks, sometimes hours after the Yikes! moment—is our focus on the pounds. Chris Powell, the trainer on ABC's Extreme Weight Loss, says it's important to know a few other baseline numbers before starting your slim-down plan; some weeks, the scale won't budge, but you can look back at all these stats and gauge your progress:

1. The circumference of your chest, waist, hips, and thighs.

2. Your clothing size (stretchy pants don't count).

3. The time it takes to run/walk a mile.

4. The number of push-ups and sit-ups you can complete in one minute.

Find four "teammates"

You probably won't get the all-in support you're expecting from friends and family, cautions Susan Albers-Bowling, Psy.D., a psychologist at the Women's Health Center at Cleveland Clinic. So make sure you have at least four key people on your side as you approach weight loss:

One person to be your partner in crime: say, a workout buddy who will meet you for a post-dinner walk. Ideally, this is someone who's trying to lose weight herself.

One person to cheer you on: someone you can call to celebrate your every milestone.

One person to act as a role model: a friend who has, for as long as you've known her, seemed to have a health halo over her, knowing exactly which entrée is the smart choice or which cereal to buy. Observe and copy her!

One person to be your mentor: a pal who's lost weight in the past and has kept it off—and will let you check in with her regularly to share your progress, help you stay accountable, and get through moments of weakness. (She knows, because she's been there.)

Choose your dream team wisely, Albers-Bowling says. Be careful not to recruit that friend or relative who will ultimately be the one to say, "Eh, you've worked hard all week. Surely it's okay to finish off this box of Oreos with me."

Ruslan Semichev/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Bust all your excuses

Now's the time to get it out on the table—all the things you've told yourself that have kept you from losing weight in the past: I don't have time to work out or cook healthy food; I can't get up early; I can't exercise if my children need me to drive them to soccer; I can't run… what if it rains? Write your list down, says Bridges, then come up with a plan to eliminate each excuse. For example, you might not be able to run in the rain, but you can keep some DVDs on hand so you don't have to miss your workout when it's pouring. If you still get stuck, reach out to your teammates—that's what they signed up for.

Start training your mind

This is the preseason weight-loss task no woman ever thinks of: training her mind to support the changes she's going to make to her body. Every time you catch yourself about to utter a self-defeating phrase—"I'm never going to lose the weight!"—replace it with a positive one, like "I deserve to have a healthy body" or "I am capable of slimming down." This shift often separates the losers from the winners, says Thomas N. Bradbury, Ph.D., coauthor of Love Me Slender and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. After all, how will you ever make progress if you don't believe you can? It also helps to use affirmations to alter your attitude about your new habits. Instead of saying, "I can't have the burger," say, "I choose to have a satisfying, healthy salad." According to Bradbury, "This way, you are taking charge of your diet. It's a much more empowered approach to weight loss."

Have a pantry party

The only thing you need for this bash is a bunch of plastic bags, Powell says, because you're about to toss the foods that led to pound creep. Don't look so glum. "It's a joyous occasion," says Powell. "It's symbolic of your taking control of your weight destiny." Not sure what to put in your bag? Start with these: soda, ice cream, fruit juice, fried food, candy, chips, and—sorry, people—alcohol. Then ask yourself, Are there any foods that always lead me to want seconds or thirds? If, once you start eating, you can't stop, that's probably a good indicator that you should toss it. Getting rid of food can be tricky, especially if you're not the only person who eats from the pantry. But experts say that this preseason task works best when your family gets on board—and they'll survive just fine without their Ho Hos for a while. If they must buy goodies that call to you, stash them in a separate drawer and remind yourself that, just like the clothes in their dressers, they're not yours.

Check your exercise gear

Awful, stretched-out yoga pants and a decade-old running bra will not motivate you to move more. Replace and invest strategically. Also, scan your kitchen. Do you need a healthy cookbook, or a food scale to help track portions? Your preseason weight-loss mantra: Stock up now, lose more later.

Plan an exit strategy

It may seem premature, but experts say you must think about what you're going to do once you reach your goal before you begin your weight-loss program. Too often, women will see their "target weight" on the scale, think they're in the clear, and immediately fall back into eating doughnuts for breakfast. So your last preseason weight-loss task is to decide how you're going to celebrate your success at the end, but not with the food that led to Crying Pants Episode in the first place. Instead, plan to do something that's in line with your vision for your future, healthier self. If that trek to Machu Picchu seems a bit ambitious, picture a scenic hike near your town and a sushi dinner afterward. Or, hey, why not a plane ticket to Peru? You deserve it.

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